Evil Michael Adebowale became a Muslim after being brainwashed by a radical preacher who advocates beating women and killing gays.

Adebowale, awaiting sentence for the murder of soldier Lee Rigby, told a pen pal he converted to Islam after listening to cleric Sheikh Khalid Yasin’s lectures which he said taught him “the purpose of life”.

In his first letter since being convicted, Adebowale complained he had been “ill-judged” and had “little support” from fellow Muslims appalled by his sick crimes.

The handwritten note, topped with his prisoner number A0882CY, is dated December 20 – the day after he and Michael Adebolajo, 29, were found guilty of murdering Fusilier Lee, 25, near his Woolwich barracks in South East London.

From his solitary confinement cell at London’s high-security Belmarsh prison, Adebowale, 22, wrote: “The trial has now come to an end and me and my brother in Islam are awaiting till next year as the case was adjourned for sentencing.

“May Allah bless you for your dua’s [prayers]. I have had little support as you can imagine, many people are shocked and many Muslims sadly ill-judged me, but Allah must ‘aan [Allah help them].”

Adebowale, whose mother Juliet Obasuyi begged Lee’s relatives for forgiveness, even whinged that his family did not understand his twisted views. He wrote: “They aren’t Muslim so I never get that ‘click’ with them. May Allah forgive their mistakes.”

Preacher of hate: Yasin brainwashed Adebowale

Preacher Yasin, who calls the Taliban “our brothers” and is linked to the hardline Wahhabi branch of Islam, claims the Koran urges men to “beat women lightly”. He also told Muslims not to regard non-Muslims as friends.

Hundreds of DVDs of Yasin’s sermons were given to would-be jihadists being recruited in Britain’s streets to fight in Afghanistan. American-born Yasin has appeared at universities in the UK, but is now thought to be back in the US.

Yasin once told an audience in Manchester not to record a speech about 9/11 in case it was used by police.

In one film he raged: “The delusion of equality of women is foolishness… there is no such thing.” And a YouTube video also shows him backing the death penalty for gays.

Adebowale told his pen pal he “reverted” to Islam in 2009, around the time he served a 15-month sentence for possessing heroin with intent to supply.

He wrote: “I have been Muslim for nearly 5 years. I have always been a fairly spiritual person and most of my friends at that time were Muslims. So the combination of the two factors caused me to start learning more about Islam.

“The more I learnt the more interested I became which led to me listening to a lecture by Sheikh Khaalid Yaseen. The title of this lecture is called ‘What is the Purpose of Life?’ After hearing this I had to conclude that the purpose of life is to acknowledge and worship the creator.”

Adebowale also said he had changed his name to Ismail “because I knew about the Prophet Ismail from Christianity”.

Letter: Sent a day after being found guilty of killing Fusilier Rigby

The killer, of Greenwich, and accomplice Adebolajo, of Lewisham, South East London, claimed they killed drummer Lee in May in revenge for British troops being in Muslim countries.

They ran him over in a car, dragged him into the middle of the road and hacked at him with knives. As Lee lay dying, the pair ordered horrified onlookers to film the gruesome scene.

Adebowale, who refused to give evidence during his trial at the Old Bailey, could now spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Last week it was revealed he had suffered psychotic episodes since the killing and could be sent to Broadmoor psychiatric unit in Berkshire.

The killing has thrown the spotlight on hate preachers after it emerged both Adebowale and Adebolajo were followers of extremist cleric Anjem Choudary.

PM David Cameron has created an Extremism Taskforce aimed at stopping radical leaders inciting hatred.